Never fear America, the FBI will still be able to arrest criminals after December 31-and their cell doors won't swing open when Y2K rolls around, either, the Justice Department said Thursday.
The FBI ran a simulation for the media claiming that its National Crime Information Center computer systems will be ready for Y2K. The NCIC, among other uses, allows law enforcement access to criminal records.
Although the system has been Y2K-compliant since July, the FBI used the event as an opportunity to reassure the public that 99 percent of the Justice Department's mission critical systems are ready for the date change.
"We don't have to worry about (prison) cell doors sliding open at the stroke of midnight," said Attorney General Janet Reno, who was flanked by White House Y2K czar John Koskinen and Stephen Colgate, the Justice Department's chief information officer.
In the meantime, Colgate said DOJ will continue to monitor its systems to make sure they're ready for Y2K while the Office of Management a Budget review's the agencies day-one contingency plans.
Justice department officials reassured that even if Y2K glitches occur, police on state and local levels will still be able to track criminals, although Colgate said at small police stations, Y2K problems could thwart law enforcement efforts. In light of this, he encouraged local police units to have contingency plans in place.
Still, even if law enforcement is ready for Y2K, some have worried that the date change will leave police departments vulnerable, giving an opportunity for criminals and cyberterrorists. But Reno warned that law enforcement is ready and said she has no "specific information" that a cyberterrorist attack could be planned.
In addition, Colgate said the department is monitoring concerns that contractors making Y2K fixes to government computers could have purposefully sabotaged the systems. "We want to be vigilant," he said. "We are sensitive to it."
Colgate also said the department has in place a plan should criminals use Y2K as a time to strike, but would not give details of the plan.
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